The invention is directed to woven textile fabrics, and in particular, two layered fabrics that may be woven together to form textile articles.
In the manufacture of textile materials, a weaving machine may be used to weave fabrics to each other. Bobbin shuttles are employed for drawing a thread of the weft through sheds formed by warp threads. In many cases, woven material is made into tubular or other enclosed shapes by seaming free ends of the warp threads. In the past, this has been performed in a sewing department, either automatically or manually. Pillows are manufactured in this way. Fabrics of all types, including tapestries which form an image on the fabric, also are commonly manufactured in this way.
In the manufacture of stuffed or decorative pillows, for example, it has been common to provide two fabrics, one for the first side of the pillow, and one for the second side. Often, the second side is decorative, providing an image in many instances. Sometimes these fabrics are woven or tufted. In most cases, however, the fabrics are sent from a weaving facility to a sewing area or other sewing facility in order to sew the two fabric portions together (i.e. the first side and the second side) all around the periphery or margin of the pillow to form an enclosed pillow case. The enclosed pillow case is then stuffed to form a pillow.
Labor costs are a significant factor in manufacturing textile based items such as pillows, place mats, table runners, wall hangings, bell pulls, and the like. It is always desirable to provide a method of manufacturing an article without requiring these sort of manual sewing steps. Any time a laborer is required to provide even a moment of attention to a textile product, it drives up the overall cost of the process, and the resulting product produced by that process.
What is needed in the industry is a method of making a two layered textile product by weaving the two layers together, without requiring a lengthy sewing step to join the two layers to each other. A method that requires no sewing, or only a minimum amount of sewing, would be highly desirable.
A two layered textile product is provided in the practice of the invention. The product comprises a first layer and a second layer. Furthermore, a woven seam connects the first layer to the second layer to form a textile structure. The textile structure has an inner surface and an outer surface, the woven seam being arranged in a predetermined pattern to form a margin corresponding to the exterior dimensions of finished product. A seam opening is also provided, wherein the textile structure is capable of inversion by pulling the inner surface through the seam opening so that the inner surface may be exposed to form the margin of a two layered textile product.
In the case of a pillow or stuffed product, fill then can be inserted inside the textile structure (or pillow case) to form a soft padded product. Then, the case may be closed by sewing, heat sealing, or stitching to form a finished product. In some applications of the invention, a two layered textile product is provided in which the second layer is a decorative tapestry. The product may be a pillow or other stuffed soft decorative item.
In some embodiments of the invention, the seam opening is configured to be joined in a relatively simple manner by sewing, bonding, fastening, zipping (i.e. using a zipper) or by any other means that is capable of reliably enclosing the open margin of the shaped product.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a pillow formed from a two-layered textile structure woven upon a single loom. The two layered textile structure comprises a first backing layer, and a second decorative layer. Furthermore, a woven seam connecting the first backing layer to the second decorative layer forms a textile structure, the textile structure having an inner surface and an outer surface.
Furthermore, the woven seam defines a margin, with a seam opening in the woven seam, wherein the textile structure is capable of inversion by pulling the inner surface through the seam opening so that the inner surface of the textile structure may be exposed to form the exterior of a pillow. The pillow also may comprise a second decorative layer which is a tapestry. In some embodiments, the pillow of the first backing layer is a decorative tapestry.
In other applications of the invention, a method of forming a pillow case by weaving two separate fabric layers upon a single loom is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing first and second fabric layers and then weaving the first and second fabric layers together upon a loom. Then, a seam is formed having a margin of a predetermined desired shape, the margin forming the partial outline of a pillow case. Finally, a method of providing a seam opening is presented, wherein the first and second layers are not attached to each other at the seam opening. The method also may include an additional step of inverting the pillow case by pulling the first and second fabric layers through the seam opening, and then stuffing the pillow. Finally, it is necessary to seal the seam opening by snaps, buttons, velcro, heat sealing, sewing, or even employing a zipper.